grampus
Americannoun
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a cetacean, Grampus griseus, of the dolphin family, widely distributed in northern seas.
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any of various related cetaceans, as the killer whale, Orcinus (Orca ) orca.
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a giant whip scorpion common to Florida.
noun
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a widely distributed slaty-grey dolphin, Grampus griseus, with a blunt snout
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another name for killer whale
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grampus
1520–30; earlier grampoys, variant (by assimilation) of graundepose great fish, equivalent to graunde grand + pose, poys < Middle French pois, peis < Latin pisce- (stem of piscis ) fish; replacing Middle English gra ( s ) peis < Middle French ≪ Latin crassus piscis fat fish
Vocabulary lists containing grampus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He continues: “Water dog, grampus, grumpus, mollyhugger, horny head, devil dog.”
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2018
It h a menacing or amorous puff, similar to the grampus.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
"Then we ought to have Miss Di Tempest, if we have Hemsworth," said Sir Henry, blowing like a grampus, as his manner was in moments of inspiration.
From Diana Tempest, Volume II (of 3) by Cholmondeley, Mary
Thresh′el, a flail; Thresh′er, the fox-shark; Thresh′er-whale, the grampus.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
It was my first visit to Sydney since her marriage, and I enjoyed myself much, and threw off my cough, and could get up stairs without blowing like a grampus.
From Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. II by Downey, Edmund
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
